About Ellen Brick Young

Ellen Brick Harris was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania. She was a tall woman, but never inclined to grow stout, as did her sisters.

Her husband, John Young, was descended from John Young, who emigrated from England in 1648 to the Cape Cod settlement in Massachusetts. His descendant of the same name was born in 1804 in Chelsea, Vermont, and removed with his parents to what was then thought to be the "far West," set- tling in Conesus, Ontario county, New York. Here he acquired his education, and became, at 15 years of age, a teacher in the village school at Lima, and soon after a law student in the office of A. A. Bennett. He was admitted to the bar in 1829, and settled in Geneseo, the county seat of Livingston county. He soon achieved success in his profession, and was one of the leading lawyers in his section of the state.

He was elected to the state legislature in 1832, and again in 1844 and in 1845, and became a political leader of the whig party, which, taking advantage of intestine fends in the democratic party, succeeded in gaining control of the state government. He was a member of Congress from 1841 to 1843, governor of the state of New York from 1847 to 1849, and United States assistant treasurer in New York city from 1849 till his death, which occurred in New York city, April 23, 1852.

He remained throughout his life a student of law and of literature; was courteous in his bearing, and a forcible public speaker.

After his death his wife returned to her home in Geneseo, where she died.